The Best Book I Read This Year….. and the award goes to:
This year I read more books than my usual average, it may have had something to do with the electricity downtime leaving me with lots of hours to binge on books, so I cant just settle for one book…
If you are on GoodReads.… pop by and add me as a friend for a comprehensive list of my reading list
Note: I am a big fan of epic high fantasy.
Books by people from my circles which I quite enjoyed immensely this year:
Sisyphean Mind Anthology by Ibrahim Oga
Sisyphean Mind is a vignette of 12 everyday flash fiction stories that are meant to inspire an against all odds mentality, to never abandon a seemingly futile task, to keep on keeping on. Full review below
Iscariot by Chiseche
Iscariot is a poetry chapbook by Chiseche, dedicated to all the broken things and stitched together with short poems, together which makeup the fabric of one elusive tale…. Full review below
Chiseche then wrote a review which led me to another chapbook
Yellow by LadyInk
Yellow is a diary of a love affair that lasts only 163 days….Fair Warning: this 30 minute read of bite-sized poetic musings will violently rip off the Band-Aid from your heart and you may need a support club afterwards…. Check out my more detailed review below
This is the year I also discovered Nigerian storyteller Okey Ndibe and his books Arrows Of Rain and Foreign Gods Inc
Although Arrows of Rain was first released almost 20 years I only “found” it this year and the story told in this book was a familiar one, even though its set in a fictitious republic, Okey Ndibe uses fiction to tell the truth……
One of the messages that deeply resonated with me from this story was the following
Remember this: a story never forgives silence. Speech is the mouth’s debt to a story -Okey Ndibe
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And for that fantasy fix Okey Ndibe’s book Foreign Gods Inc. in a weird way made me think of Neil Gaiman‘s book American Gods in a story you would have to read to believe, touching on religion and intertwined with Africa’s colonial history, it’s a provocatively profound read…..
…. And of course the most epic high fantasy book I read was Samantha Shannon’s The Priory Of Orange Tree… This 800+ paged tome has got to take the award of the most paged book I read this year and I loved every single page of it….
The Priory Of Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
MusamboTheMuse recommended this book after I asked on twitter if anyone had suggestions for a fantasy book. I was so sad to come to the end of the book that after I finished it I was on a book hangover, not wanting to read another book ever again because none could hold my attention the way Samantha’s book did; but I am sober now… catch my more detailed review below
These are books that stood out for me this year…. What fiction books have you been reading?
~B
Becoming The Muse 
I wish I could read as many books as you do, I think this power problem should come to Uganda too
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Hahaha cafeful what you wish for… I understand Umeme sometimes has issues esp in rain season….
And the one person who I will admit reads waaaaay more than me hands is in Uganda too 😂
~B
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I am glad to have made your list of the year. This means a lot.
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You are welcome!!!
~B
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This was an interesting list. Appreciate you sharing with us
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Thank you for dropping by
Appreciate
~B
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I’ve been tempted by The Priory Of The Orange Tree. Even more so after your recommendation Beaton. 🙂
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Thank you, MJ… Come to think of it, my spidey senses tell me you would probably find this book somewhat enjoyable.
~B
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I think you’re spidey senses are right. Btw have you read Phillip Pullman’s Northern Lights? Just finished it and it was beyond amazing.
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Yes, I loved Philip Pullman’s book series read Golden Compass, Amber Spyglass and Subtle Knife… 😂
How are you only just reading it now unless you are repeating haha
~B
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I can’t figure that either. What have I been doing with my life…
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Funny enough I walked out of the 1st movie because it made me feel weird… But I loved the books! The books are always better but fantasy movies are such fun. I hope they remake the trilogy cos the first attempt was a whole flop.
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Interesting list, i will search for them.
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Sure thing
~B
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I have not read any of these, but some definitely sound interesting.
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I intentionally picked from my lesser known circles…
So not surprised that with the exception of maybe one most people would not have read or even heard of these till now 😃
~B
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Good to hear you are on Goodreads, I just send you an invite. 🙂 And Foreign Gods Inc. interests me a lot, because like you, when I read the title I thought of Neil Gaiman‘s American Gods. I’m certainly checking it out. Thanks for sharing your wonderful reads.
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Epic fantasy for the win! #squad
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My people 😂
~B
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Uncle B, on my books link it says that Arrows of Rain was released 2014 is that right?
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The book was originally published 2000 but yes it has more recent releases
~B
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